Black walnut tree named &#34;Beineke 12&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree ( Juglans nigra  L.) which is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate, and excellent central stem tendency, thereby producing good timber qualities. This new variety of black walnut trees was discovered by the applicant near South Raub, Tippeconoe County, Ind. in a black walnut planting of seedling progeny from previously selected trees for outstanding timber production potential. This selection has been designated as BW509, a seedling progeny of BW 95 (unpatented) in records maintained by the applicant on the performance of this selection, and grafts made from the selection, and will be known henceforth as Beineke 12.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Juglans nigra L.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) was discoveredby the applicant near South Raub, Tippecanoe County, Ind. in a blackwalnut planting of seedling progeny from previously selected trees foroutstanding timber producing potential. This selection has beendesignated as BW509, a seedling progeny of BW 95, unpatented, in recordsmaintained by the applicant on the performance of this selection, andgrafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as ‘Beineke12.’ The male parent is unknown, as is generally the case with blackwalnut trees. (Beineke, 1989)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.)which is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate,excellent resistance to anthracnose leaf disease, excellent central stemtendency, and excellent straightness, thereby producing excellent timberqualities, the trait of commercial interest. Beineke 12 was 9 years oldwhen described at a location near South Raub, Ind.

After the original clone was selected, and assigned an identity numberof BW509 the aforesaid tree was reproduced by collecting scions from itand grafting these onto common black walnut rootstocks at AmericanForestry Technologies, Inc., West Point, Ind. These asexualreproductions ran true to the originally discovered tree and to eachother in all respects. A comparison between BW95 and Beineke 12 couldnot be made at this site because BW 95 was not planted at South Raub orWest Point and the original tree was cut down.

Color values used were from the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues.

However, color is too dependent on weather conditions and fertilizationto be consistent or distinctive. For example, leaves can be made adeeper green by applying nitrogen. Walnut tree leaves turn yellow as theseason progresses, especially if there is a lack of rainfall. As blackwalnut meats dry, they become darker. Simply being on the ground for aweek causes the outer shell to darken. Bark color involves many shadesof gray through brown and black.

Beineke 12 is hardy in USDA zones 4,5,6,7, and 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the timber form of ‘Beineke 12.’

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the leaves of ‘Beineke 12.’

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing the nuts of ‘Beineke 12.’

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANTS

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of walnut treeare as follows:

-   Tree:    -   -   Size.—Large, 36 ft. at 9 years; crown diameter of 15 ft.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous.        -   Growth rate.—Very rapid, 34% larger in diameter than the            average of Purdue 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543) grafts,            planted the same year on the same land. Diameter growth rate            (at 4½ feet above the ground) at 9 years was 6.9 inches for            an average growth rate of 0.77 inches per year.        -   Form.—Excellent timber form. Stem form was obtained by            subjectively rating the straightness of the main stem on a            scale of 1 to 5 with 1 representing a perfectly straight            stem; 2, slight crook or deviation of the central stem (no            crooks); 3, about average straightness; 4, several severe            crooks or a single fork; and 5, a very crooked, forked            and/or leaning central stem. Beineke 12, averages 1 The            trees of the present invention are grown in plantations, not            in open fields (not natural stands). In plantations, trees            are upright and have no distinctive or characteristic crown            shape because all branches are seeking to grow upwards.-   Branches: Diameter depends on age and size of tree, varies from ½ to    12″, bark color varies from grays to browns.-   Leaves:    -   -   Compound leaves.—Size — Large; average length — 17.53″;            width 8.73″.        -   Leaflets.—Size — Average; average length — 4.43″; average            width 1.45″, average number of leaflets — 18.7 — lanceolate;            acutely pointed, rounded base.        -   Thickness.—thin; Texture — smooth; Margin — serrated;            Petioles — short; Color — Topside — dark green (5GY5/4 by            the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues); Underside —            light green (5GY5/4 on the Munsell Color Chart for Plant            Tissues).        -   Anthracnose resistance.—Excellent.-   Nut:    -   -   Size.—Large; average length — 1.4″; average diameter in            suture plane — 1.18″; average diameter cheek to cheek —            1.46″.        -   Uniformity of size.—Not much variation.        -   Form.—Rounded; flattened in suture plane. See FIG. 3.        -   Blossom end.—Pointed, acute.        -   Basal end.—Flat.        -   Thickness of shell.—Thick.        -   Ridges.—Sharp.        -   Color.—Mottled, 5YR3/2 and 2.5YR3/4 by the Munsell Color            Chart for Plant Tissues.-   Flowering habit:    -   -   Age at which trees start producing catkins.—Early, it takes            about 4-5 years to flower, but the flower number varies with            the age of the tree.        -   Number of catkins produced.—Few.        -   Age at which trees start producing pistillate            flowers.—Early, about 6 years.        -   Number of pistillate flowers produced by young trees.—Few.        -   Lateral shoots producing pistillate flowers.—None.        -   Number of pistillate flowers per inflorescence.—2.-   Flower season: Flowers typically in May in Indiana. There are    probably 1 — million pollen per catkin. Female flowers are about    1/16″ long and grow to two “pollen pick up points” which    subsequently break apart. Pollen exists as “dust” which is not    feasible to quantitate.-   Nut crop:    -   -   Bearing.—Biennial.        -   Productivity.—Low.        -   Ripening period.—Middle October.        -   Evenness of maturity (period between first and last nuts are            ready for harvest).—Even.        -   Quality.—Good.        -   Distribution of nuts on tree.—Throughout.

GENETIC METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION DNA “fingerprint” for identification ofBeineke 12

DNA was isolated from the leaves of Beineke 12. For purposes of DNAfingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci from a suite ofmicrosatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) were chosen.Microsatellites sizes were checked against previously publishedstandards and verified by a second independent analysis. The“fingerprint” is the collection of microsatellite allele sizes at eachlocus for “Beineke 12”.

DNA was isolated from the leaves of 4 black walnut trees obtained fromWalter Beineke using CTAB extraction buffer (50 mM TRIS-HCL, pH 8.0, 20mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 0.7 M NaCl, 0.4 M LiCl, 2% SDS, 2% CTAB, nd 1% PVP).After isolation the DNA from each tree was quantified and diluted withnanopure distilled water to a final concentration of 5 ng/microliter.The samples were stored in 96-well plates at −20 degrees C.

For purposes of DNA fingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci froma suite of microsatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) werechosen. Amplification of each locus was performed with an MJ ResearchTetrad Thermocycler (Waltham, Mass.) using 10 microliter reactions in96-well plates. The PCR reaction mix contained 2 microliters of theaforementioned black walnut DNA, 5 microliter Sigma Taq ReadyMix (SigmaAldrich, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.4 microliter of a 20 pmol mixture of forwardand reverse fluorescence labeled primer, and 3 microliter PCR gradewater supplied with the Sigma ReadyMix. PCR amplification was for 30cycles of 94 degrees C. for 20 sec, 55 degrees C. for 30 sec, and 72degrees C. for 1 min. All primers were annealed at 55 degrees C. Theproducts were then held at 4 degrees C. until aliquots could be loadedinto 6% Long Ranger (polyacrylamide) denaturing gels (BMA, Rockland,Me.). For each individual 0.5 microliter PCR product was added to 0.75microliter blue dextran and 0.25 microliter of CXR 350 bp LadderStandard (Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, Calif.) in a new96-well plate. The samples were denatured for 2 min at 95degrees C. andloaded onto a CAL96 96-well laminated membrane comb (The Gel Company,San Francisco, Calif.). Electrophoresis was at 3,000 V, 60 mA, 200Watts, 50degrees C. for 2 hours using an ABI 377 (Perkin Elmer) with 36cm plates and 0.2 mm spacers. The resulting data was analyzed usingABI's GeneScan 3.1.2 and Genotyper 2.5 (Perkin Elmer). Microsatellitesizes were checked against previously published standards and verifiedby a second independent analysis. The “fingerprint” is the collection ofmicrosatellite allele sizes at each locus for each tree. Locus ForwardReverse WGA6 CCATGAAACTTCATGCGTTG CATCCCAAGCGAAGGTTG WGA24TCCCCCTGAAATCTTCTCCT TTCTCGTGGTGCTTGTTGAG WGA27 AACCCTACAACGCCTTGATGTGCTCAGGCTCCACTTCC WGA32 CTCGGTAAGCCACACCAATT ACGGGCAGTGTATGCATGTA WGA72AAACCACCTAAAACCCTGCA ACCCATCCATGATCTTCCAA WGA89 ACCCATCTTTCACGTGTGTGTGCCTAATTAGCAATTTCCA WGA90 CTTGTAATCGCCCTCTGCTC TACCTGCAACCCGTTACACAWGA97 GGAGAGGAAAGGAATCCAAA TTGAACAAAAGGCCGTTTTC WGA69TTAGTTAGCAAACCCACCCG AGATGCACAGACCAACCCTC WGA76 AGGGCACTCCCTTATGAGGTCAGTCTCATTCCCTTTTTCC WGA82 TGCCGACACTCCTCACTTC CGTGATGTACGACGGCTG

The best interpretation of the current data indicates that theprobability that any other black walnut tree would have the collectionof microsatellite allele sizes listed is estimated to be less than3×10⁻¹⁴.

Sizes (bp) of microsatellites at 11 loci used to fingerprint “Beineke12” (2 alleles at each locus).

Microsatellites used to Fingerprint Beineke 12: WGA6 WGA24 WGA27 WGA32142 142 238 242 229 233 175 183 WGA72 WGA89 WGA90 WGA97 149 149 199 199152 158 155 155 WGA69 WGA76 WGA82 172 176 232 236 180 196

DOCUMENTS CITED

-   Beineke, Walter F. (1989) Twenty years of black walnut genetic    improvement at Purdue University North. J Appl. For. 6:68-71.-   Woeste, K., Bums, R., Rhodes, O., and Michler, C. (2002) Thirty    polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci from black walnut. Journal    of Heredity. 93:58-60.

1. A new and distinct variety of black walnut tree named “Beineke 12”substantially as illustrated and described, which has excellent timberquality, extremely rapid growth rate, and excellent central stemtendency.